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EU leaders at Western Balkans summit optimistic about rapid enlargement

2026-06-05 22:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

EU leaders at Western Balkans summit optimistic about rapid enlargement

Leaders of the European Union and Western Balkan countries gathered in the coastal town of Tivat in Montenegro for the annual EU-Western Balkans summit, where the main topic was accelerating the union's enlargement process.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that EU enlargement is a geostrategic necessity and that the process must be made faster and more reliable.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed optimism about a Franco-German initiative aimed at giving candidate countries more benefits on the road to membership.

According to the plan, candidate countries can participate as observers in meetings of EU institutions and benefit from faster integration in the economic and digital fields.

The six Western Balkan countries aiming for EU membership are Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

Montenegro is considered the most advanced candidate for membership. The country has been on its way to the EU for 22 years and aims to become the union's 28th member by 2028. Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovi? described the summit in Tivat as the most important international event in the country's modern history.

Albania is also considered one of the most promising candidates, while Kosovo's path remains more complicated because five EU member states still do not recognize its independence. During the summit, Merz urged Serbia to clearly define its strategic orientation.

"There cannot be a policy of vacillation between Russia, China and Europe. If Serbia's answer is Europe, then Europe's answer will be Serbia," the German Chancellor declared.

The EU sees enlargement in the Western Balkans as a response to new geopolitical challenges and the growing influence of Russia and China in the region. European officials stressed that the stability of the Balkans is essential for the security and stability of all of Europe. /CNA 





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